Lost House Keys: What to Do, Step by Step
Locksmith Milwaukee Now helps people who lost their house keys in Milwaukee and about 30 miles around it. We open the door when you are locked out, from $69, and rekey the locks so the lost key stops working, from $59 for the first lock. We work 24/7. Call or text us.
The question that decides what to do
Lost house keys, and what to do next, depends mostly on one thing: could the person who finds them figure out which door they open? A key with no address on it, dropped somewhere across town, is a small risk. A key that was in a stolen bag with your driver's license, or on a ring with a tag that shows your street, is a real one. In the second case, rekey the outside locks the same day, so the lost key stops working. In Milwaukee a rekey starts at $59 for the first lock and $20 for each additional lock, and we work 24/7.
If you are standing outside a locked door right now, start with getting in. Everything else on this page can wait an hour.
What to do, in order
- Retrace your stepsCall the last places you were: the store, the gym, the bus line, the restaurant. Lost keys often turn up at a front desk or in a lost and found.
- Check what was on the ringWrite down every key and fob: house, car, mailbox, work, garage remote. Each one has its own fix.
- Get back insideIf no one else has a key, a locksmith opens the door and you show us your ID and proof of address inside.
- Rekey if the key can be tracedIf your address or your ID was with the keys, rekey every outside lock so the lost key no longer turns.
- Make spare keysCut copies of the new key for each person in the house and one for someone you trust.
- Tell the people who need to knowYour landlord, your employer, and your homeowners association, if their keys were on the ring.
When to rekey right away and when you can wait
The risk comes from the link between the key and your door. These cases call for a rekey the same day:
- The keys were in a wallet, a purse, or a bag with your ID or mail.
- The ring had a tag, a fob, or a club card that shows your name or address.
- The keys were stolen, not dropped, for example in a car break-in.
- A garage remote was on the ring or in the car with it.
- You lost them close to home, where someone could try the doors on your street.
If you dropped a plain key somewhere far from home and nothing on the ring points back to you, the risk is lower. Many people rekey anyway after a few days, once it is clear the keys are not coming back, because they cannot be sure who has them.
Locked out and missing the key at the same time
This is the most common way lost keys reach us: someone gets home, the keys are gone, and the door is locked. We open the door first. Once you are inside, you show us a photo ID and something that ties you to the address, like a lease, a deed, or a utility bill. If the keys are gone for good, we can rekey the locks before we leave, so you get new keys and the lost ones stop working on the same visit. Our page on house lockouts explains the opening part in more detail.
Other keys that were on the same ring
A lost ring often holds more than the house key, and each key has its own next step.
A car key needs a new key made and, for most cars from the last twenty years, the old key erased from the car's computer so it no longer starts the engine. Our page on lost car keys covers that job.
A mailbox key depends on who owns the box. For a box on a post in front of your house, we change the lock. For a neighborhood cluster box, the post office handles the lock.
A work key belongs to your employer. Tell them the same day, because the risk is theirs too, and they may want the business locks rekeyed.
A garage remote opens a door into your house. Clear it from the opener as soon as you can.
If you rent
Tell your landlord or property manager about the lost key. Most leases ask tenants to report lost keys, and many say the landlord decides who rekeys the locks. Some landlords rekey the unit themselves, some send a locksmith, and some let the tenant arrange it and pay. If we come out to a rental, we rekey with the landlord's okay and leave a key for the landlord when the lease calls for one. Our page on what to do when you are locked out of an apartment covers the rest of the rental side.
What it costs
| House or apartment lockout | from $69 |
|---|---|
| Rekey, first lock | from $59 |
| Rekey, each additional lock | from $20 |
| House key copy | from $10 |
Opening a locked house starts at $69. A rekey starts at $59 for the first lock and $20 for each additional lock on the same visit, and a copy of the new key starts at $10. A trip fee may apply at some times and places, and we tell you the total before we start.
Make the next lost key less of a problem
A few habits make a lost key less costly and less risky the next time.
- Keep your address and your name off the key ring.
- Leave a spare key with a neighbor or a relative you trust, not under the mat or in a fake rock.
- Count your copies and know who holds each one.
- Consider a keypad deadbolt on one outside door, so a code can let you in when the key is missing.
A keypad deadbolt or a smart lock still has a key cylinder as a backup, so it needs a rekey after a lost key too. Our page on key duplication explains how we cut copies.
Cities we serve around Milwaukee
Milwaukee and about 30 miles around it: Milwaukee County, Waukesha County, Ozaukee County, Washington County, and Racine County.
Questions about lost house keys
Should I change my locks if I lose my keys?
Rekey them if the keys could lead someone to your door, for example if your ID or your address was with them. A rekey makes the lost key useless and keeps the locks you have.
Can a locksmith make a key without the original?
Yes. We rekey the lock to a new key, or we read the lock and cut a key to fit it.
How much does it cost when I lose my house keys?
Opening the door starts at $69. A rekey starts at $59 for the first lock and $20 for each additional lock.
Do I need to tell my landlord?
Yes. Most leases ask tenants to report a lost key, and the landlord usually decides who rekeys the locks.
What if my car key was on the same ring?
The car needs a new key and, on most newer cars, the lost key erased from the car's computer.